Season 16, Episode 7 American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawaii

First Aired: August 5, 2003

“American Aloha: Hula Beyond Hawaii” follows three “kunu hula” (master hula teachers) as they keep the “heartbeat of Hawaiian culture” alive among Hawaiians in California. The three are seen teaching and directing performances. And expounding. “I can go anywhere and be Hawaiian,” says Mark Ho'omalu od Oakland, who describes his sometimes unorthadox hulas as “brash, aggressive, smart-alecky and sassy.” But Sissy Kaio of Carson is more concerned with maintaining traditions than she is with innovation. “I've been wanting to go home for some time,” she says. “But I can't because I have a responsibility here.”

Premise: This acclaimed, long-running documentary series is a showcase for independent films on a wide variety of subjects, from the heartwarming (`Sweet Old Song,' about a 91-year-old musician) to the whimsical (`The Sweetest Sound,' a study of names) to the contr… (more)